French & Double Doors

French & Double Doors in Fort Lauderdale, FL | Winslow Windows & Doors

French and double doors are a signature architectural move in Fort Lauderdale homes, opening interior living space to patios, lanais, and pool decks. But in our wind zone, a standard French door from a home center won’t hold up. That’s why the doors we install are paired impact-rated systems with laminated glass in every lite, not just the door panels. Winslow Windows & Doors sells and installs these from our Fort Lauderdale, FL location, with every opening set level, plumb, and square against Florida Building Code HVHZ requirements. Call (904) 913-5886 to talk through your opening.

Call (904) 913-5886

Product Overview - French & Double Doors

French doors and double doors serve two different purposes in South Florida homes, and the distinction matters when you’re pricing a project. A true French door is divided into multiple rectangular glass lites per panel, usually with a symmetrical pattern that reads traditional or transitional. A double door refers to any paired door system, typically two full-lite panels that meet at the center. Both configurations are available as impact-rated systems from Winslow Windows & Doors across our PGT, CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO, and Mr-Glass lines.

What makes this product suited to Fort Lauderdale construction is the lamination. Paired impact-rated French doors with laminated glass in every lite give you symmetrical sightlines and multi-point locking hardware for interior-to-exterior openings. That lamination is not a film applied after the fact. It’s a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) interlayer bonded between two panes of glass under heat and pressure at the factory. When a storm throws debris at the door, the glass may crack but it stays in the frame, keeping the wind and water outside where they belong.

Frame material is where you’ll make your first big product decision. Aluminum frames, in our experience, are the dominant choice in Fort Lauderdale’s coastal neighborhoods because of their stiffness and narrow sightlines. Vinyl frames have gained ground for homeowners who want thermal performance and a lower-maintenance surface. Both are available in these impact configurations, and both carry the engineering required for HVHZ compliance when matched with the correct glass and hardware package.

Technical Specifications

Here’s what you need to know before we spec your door. Call (904) 913-5886 and we’ll walk through each line item for your specific opening.

• Frame materials: Aluminum and vinyl, both engineered for HVHZ coastal conditions.
• Maximum size: Up to 96 inches wide, depending on configuration and design pressure requirements for your wind zone.
• Glass options: Laminated impact glass (PVB interlayer), Low-E insulated glass, tinted glass, and clear glass. Laminated impact glass is required for the impact-rated package; the other options layer on top for energy and glare control.
• Finish options: White, almond, bronze, black, and tan across the lines we carry.
• Hardware: Multi-point locking hardware standard on paired impact configurations, engaging at the head, sill, and center meeting stile.
• Compliance documentation: Miami-Dade NOA (Notice of Acceptance) and Florida Product Approval numbers available per configuration. We note the applicable numbers on your quote and can assist with HVHZ permit submittals.

Hurricane & Compliance Performance

We don’t sell impact doors in Fort Lauderdale on marketing language. We sell them on test protocols and approvals that building departments actually check. Here’s what matters, feature by feature.

Laminated Impact Glass

This is the core of the product. Laminated impact glass with a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) interlayer holds the glass in the frame under impact. If a 2×4 or a piece of roof tile hits the glass at storm speed, the laminate keeps the pane intact. You’re left with cracked glass you can replace later, not a blown-out opening during the storm.

Miami-Dade NOA / Florida Product Approval

Doors in Fort Lauderdale’s HVHZ jurisdiction need paperwork. Miami-Dade NOA (Notice of Acceptance) and Florida Product Approval numbers are issued per configuration. We verify the exact numbers on your specific quote so your permit application isn’t bouncing back from the building department. No guessing, no generic approval documents.

FBC / HVHZ Compliance

The entire system is engineered to Florida Building Code (FBC) High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) requirements. HVHZ is the strictest wind-borne debris standard in the state, and it governs construction in Broward County. If a Fort Lauderdale home falls inside the HVHZ boundary, which most of the city does, this is the compliance floor.

TAS 201 / TAS 202 / TAS 203 Testing Context

You’ll see these numbers in product approval documents. TAS 201 is the large-missile impact test. TAS 202 is the cyclic wind-pressure loading test. TAS 203 is forced-entry resistance. These are the protocol family HVHZ-rated products are tested under, and the doors we install carry approvals tied to that testing. We can explain what each one means for your opening.

Design Pressure for Your Wind Zone

Every configuration gets a design pressure rating. Design pressures matched to your wind zone, up to +/-100, never higher. We don’t oversell a higher PSF rating than your home requires because overspecifying isn’t a badge of honor, it’s just unnecessary cost. The right number is the one your engineer or permit reviewer wants to see.

Energy Performance

Low-E and insulated glass options are available for energy performance. The Florida sun beats on west-facing openings in Fort Lauderdale all afternoon, and Low-E coatings reduce solar heat gain through the glass without changing the look of the door. The impact lamination is the safety layer; the Low-E is the comfort layer.

Color & Glass Options

Fort Lauderdale architecture runs the range from 1950s ranch homes in Victoria Park to modern spec builds in Rio Vista and Mediterranean estates along the Intracoastal. Your finish selection should follow the house, not the trend. White and almond are the workhorses for older Florida homes with light stucco exteriors and white trim. Bronze and black have become the default on contemporary builds, especially paired with dark window frames and metal roofs. Tan sits in the middle, a warmer neutral that reads well on homes with sandstone or beige exterior finishes.

The glass decision is more functional. Clear laminated impact glass gives you the truest light and the cleanest view, which matters if your doors open to a pool or garden. Tinted glass cuts glare on south- and west-facing exposures without relying on Low-E coatings alone. Low-E insulated glass is the upgrade for air-conditioned spaces; the coated surface reduces heat transfer while the lamination does the storm work behind it. We can show samples at our Fort Lauderdale showroom and help you match the right package to the room orientation.

Installation by Winslow Windows & Doors in Fort Lauderdale

An impact door only performs as well as the opening it’s set in. The product may carry a Miami-Dade NOA, but a rushed install with the wrong fasteners or an air gap in the perimeter seal compromises that rated system. We see this in Fort Lauderdale all the time: doors with the right glass and the right approvals, installed by crews who didn’t follow the framing and anchoring details the approval requires. The paperwork means nothing if the screws aren’t where the engineering drawings say they go.

Our process starts with a pre-install inspection of the rough opening. We check the framing condition, the sill elevation, and the flush conditions before any door comes off the truck. Then we set the frame level, plumb, and square, shimming at the anchoring points specified by the product approval, not where it’s convenient. The perimeter seal uses AAMA 812 low-expansion foam sealant, which fills voids without bowing the frame. Our installation practice follows AAMA 2400 and 2410 standards, the accepted method for window and door installation in Florida construction.

Fort Lauderdale brings its own complications. Coastal exposure means we’re anchoring into block, wood frame, and occasionally steel lintels depending on the house. The wind zone changes block by block; a canal-front home in Nurmi Isles has different design pressure requirements than an inland

home near Plantation. And the permitting jurisdiction matters. If your home falls in an HVHZ area, the permit reviewer will want to see the NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers matched to your specific configuration. We provide that documentation with your quote and we’re familiar with what the City of Fort Lauderdale building department looks for.

The final step is a water test before we call the job done. We test the threshold and the perimeter seal, then walk you through the operation of the multi-point lock. You get a door that operates smoothly, seals tightly, and has the paperwork to back it up.

Frequently Asked Questions - French & Double Doors

Get a Quote - French & Double Doors in Fort Lauderdale

If you’re building new or replacing old doors in Fort Lauderdale, start with a real conversation about your opening. We’ll measure, spec the right configuration, and give you a written line-item quote with the correct NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers. Call (904) 913-5886 to schedule your free on-site measurement.

Written by the team at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Fort Lauderdale, FL with impact window and door installation across PGT, CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO, and Mr-Glass product lines.